Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Doha in race to win 'world's biggest' Angry Birds theme park

The mega-park is set to cost up to Dh60 million and is expected to be completed within the next 18 months depending on who wins the contract.

Both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are competing with Doha in Qatar to land the rights to build the region's first Angry Birds theme park. Picture courtesy Rovio

Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Doha are all racing to win the rights to build the region's first Angry Birds amusement park.

Gebal Group, the local agents for Lappset, the developers of Angry Birds theme parks have been approached by the three municipalities keen to build what is touted to be the world's biggest such attraction.

"We are speaking to private investors in Doha and the UAE, all are interested to install the first Angry Birds theme park in the region, but Doha is in the more advanced stages of negotiation," said Nigel Cann, director of operations and development at Gebal Group. "The presentations have been made, now investors are looking for a space and deciding whether to have an outdoor or indoor park."

The mega-park is set to cost up to Dh60 million and is expected to be completed within the next 18 months depending on which city wins the contract.

There is already Angry Birds theme parks in Singapore, UK and Finland all with a focus on interactivity and physical activity.

"It is the interactive world meeting the physical world, we are trying to get children off sofas and outside to get some physical exercise. With the higher levels of diabetes and obesity in the region, the developers hope the park will encourage more physical activity," said Mr Cann.

Angry Birds is the world's most downloaded game it has amassed more than 1 billion downloads globally since its launch in 2010, including more than 21.8 million across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. Game players use a slingshot to launch different types of "angry birds" to destroy pigs that have been eating their eggs.